


the way you are tonight

by itsahockeynight



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Fluff, Inspired by Music, M/M, Schmoop, file this under: things I wrote when I should have been doing homework
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 22:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16396082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsahockeynight/pseuds/itsahockeynight
Summary: Even in Las Vegas, a city that never sleeps, you can see the pre-dawn light reflecting off the clouds and the buildings, glinting on the balcony railings.





	the way you are tonight

**Author's Note:**

> \- if you’re in any way associated with the NHL or any of the players mentioned above, please close this tab  
>  \- this is what happens when I don't have time to work on the longfic I'm writing  
>  \- this was inspired by (and takes its title from) [a song that is so "Ovi to Nicky after they win the Cup"](https://open.spotify.com/track/0Cj304puZd5g9UHDZ3GgeN?si=Jq1wmkKLSTWEV7JaHdpx-Q) that I can't believe it's taken me this long to make the connection

The sun’s starting to come up.

Sasha stands barefoot in the middle of his hotel room and looks out the windows. Even in Las Vegas, a city that never sleeps, you can see the pre-dawn light reflecting off the clouds and the buildings, glinting on the balcony railings.

He’s been awake for nearly twenty-four hours now, too nervous before the game to nap. He’s been waiting since he stopped drinking for the crash to come, but it hasn’t yet. Maybe it never will. He still feels like he could walk on water if he really put his mind to it.

Sasha slips outside.

Nicky doesn’t look around when Sasha comes up behind him, just laces their fingers together and leans back a bit as Sasha wraps his arms around him and rests his chin on Nicky’s shoulder. He’s warm and nice to rest against. Sasha loves him.

They stand together in silence for a while, breathing the city in. Sasha’s a long way from sober, but the buzz has worn off by now. He just feels content. He just feels _happy_.

Eventually Nicky turns in his arms, clasping his hands at the small of Sasha’s back and holding him close. Sasha slings his arms around Nicky’s neck and presses their foreheads together, ignoring Nicky’s little huff of laughter.

He still can’t quite believe they’re here. “Hey, Backy.”

“Hi,” Nicky whispers back. “Alex.” He kisses Sasha’s collarbone. “Ovi.” He raises his head. “Sasha.”

Sasha kisses him. “I like Alex best,” he says nonsensically. It just sounds nice in Nicky’s mouth.

“I know.” They sway a bit, holding each other up. Nicky’s shirt is open, and their bare chests are pressed together, sticky with who knows what. Sasha can feel him breathing.

“Nicke.” He tries for the Swedish pronunciation, and it makes Nicky smile more and kiss Sasha again. It’s official, Sasha’s never been more happy than he is right this second. He nips Nicky’s lip as he pulls away. “We did okay, didn’t we?”

Nicky laughs properly this time, leaning his head on Sasha’s shoulder. “Yeah, I guess.” He looks up again, beaming. “Stanley Cup Champion Alex Ovechkin.”

It does sound really fucking good. “Stanley Cup Champion Nicklas Backstrom,” Sasha says back, heart full to bursting. He cups Nicky’s face in his hand and kisses him again and again. He loves him so much. “Next year we get you Selkie, too.”

“I don’t give a fuck about the Selkie,” Nicky mutters, pinching Sasha’s side. Sasha kisses him again, and gets distracted by how good Nicky’s tongue feels in his mouth. He could kiss him forever.

Eventually they have to stop to get their breath back, and Sasha remembers what he was talking about. “You throw it in trash if you win?”

Nicky huffs. “No.”

“Then we get. Cup _and_ Selkie.” He kisses Nicky again, grabbing the back of his shirt as Nicky groans and presses closer. “Love you. Should have everything.”

Nicky brushes Sasha’s bangs back. “You know I don’t care, right? I love you, Cup, no Cup.”

“I know.” This time when Sasha kisses him Nicky’s hand curls in Sasha’s hair, holding on. It’s sweet and slow and perfect. Soon they’ll be on a plane with their teammates, on their way to celebrate with their city, but this moment is just for them.

They’ve been through so much together. Sasha is so fucking happy to have done this with him, but Sasha would take Nicky over any career success he’s ever had. Nicky’s the best thing that’s ever happened to Sasha. He’d be nothing without him, on or off the ice. Sasha wants to make him happy for the rest of their lives. It’s the least he can do, for someone who loves like Nicky does, who puts all his heart into everything he cares about. He can have Sasha’s heart, too.

They sway together again, touching from head to toe. Sasha shifts his hands. “We dancing?”

“No,” says Nicky, sounding mutinous, but he tucks his head into Sasha’s neck and lets him lead them in a gentle circle. It’s nothing like the dancing they were doing before in the club. Sasha prays he doesn’t forget this, once he eventually gets some sleep.

“You dance with me if we have a wedding?”

“If you want.” Nicky tips his head up. He sounds very Swedish when he’s tired. Sasha loves that, too. They haven’t talked that much about _marriage_ , but they both know this is forever. If Nicky’s this unphased by the suggestion, Sasha needs to remember that for later, too. “Now? Don’t want Elvis.”

They could. That’s what people do in Vegas, right? Surely not every chapel is an Elvis chapel. They’re loaded, they could find _something_. On the other hand, Mama would kill him if he got married without them. “No.” He strokes Nicky’s back. “Wait long enough, can wait a bit more.”

“Eleven years,” Nicky mumbles. That’s not quite how long they’ve been dating, but Sasha know what he means. Nicky leans more heavily on Sasha, listing slightly, then jerks upright. “Shit.”

Sasha tucks his arm under Nicky’s so he’s taking some of his weight. Maybe they should go inside. “You need to sit?”

“If I sit I’m gonna fall asleep,” Nicky says into Sasha’s pec. He straightens up. “Don’t want to sleep yet.” Until the sun comes up, it’s still the night they won the Cup. That’s Sasha’s official position, as captain, because it’s the best night. It should last as long as possible.

“Okay.” Sasha would probably fall asleep if he sat down too, at this point. He kisses Nicky again instead, leaning them both on the railing. “Sleep on the plane.”

“Yeah.” Nicky runs his hand over Sasha’s stomach. “You keeping the beard, right?”

Sasha catches his hand. “You like?”

“Maybe,” Nicky says, looking up at him through his eyelashes. Sasha laughs and rubs his face in Nicky’s terrible beard until Nicky, spluttering and laughing, shoves him away. He loves Nicky’s laugh. Sasha leans back on the railing and beams at Nicky until he crowds into Sasha’s space again.

Nicky’s glowing, with joy and in the rays of sunlight now creeping across their building. His face is awash with pink and gold. It’s the most beautiful thing Sasha has ever seen.

He can feel the warmth of the sun on his back. They made it to the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> \- [tumblr](https://itsahockeynight.tumblr.com/) // [twitter](https://twitter.com/isthisrubble)  
>  \- no, seriously, listen to the song


End file.
